Refrigerator system, control device therefor and methods of making the same

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator system, a control device and methods of making the same are provided, the system having a frozen food compartment and a fresh food compartment operatively interconnected together by the control device having a housing provided with a passage interconnecting the compartments together, the housing having a movable damper valve member controlling the passage and a temperature responsive unit operatively interconnected to the valve member to move the valve member between open and closed positions thereof in relation to the temperature sensed by the unit. An electrical heater is carried by the housing and is disposed adjacent the temperature responsive unit to cause the temperature responsive unit to open the passage when the electrical heater has been energized for a certain period of time.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part patent application ofits copending parent patent application Ser. No. 732,668, filed May 10,1985, which, in turn, is a divisional patent application of itscopending parent patent application, Ser. No. 493,668, filed May 11,1983, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,216.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a new refrigerator system and to a controldevice for such a system or the like as well as to a method of makingsuch a control device.

2. Prior Art Statement

It is known to provide a refrigerator system having a frozen foodcompartment and a fresh food compartment operatively interconnectedtogether by a control device having a housing means provided with apassage interconnecting the compartments together, the housing meanshaving a movable damper valve member controlling the passage and atemperature responsive unit operatively interconnected to the valvemember to move the valve member between open and closed positionsthereof in relation to the temperature sensed by the unit. Thetemperature responsive unit comprises a bellows construction and thehousing means has a cylindrical casing surrounding the bellowsconstruction. The temperature responsive unit senses the ambienttemperature in the fresh food compartment so that when the temperaturein the fresh food compartment rises above a predetermined temperature,the valve member is opened to permit lower temperature air from thefrozen food compartment to flow to the fresh food compartment to lowerthe temperature in the fresh food compartment to the predeterminedtemperature whereby the valve member is closed by the control device.

It was suggested to the applicant by another that perhaps the dampervalve member could be electrically operated, such as with a solenoid, tocontrol the flow of air from the frozen food compartment to the freshfood compartment in response to an electrical signal from an electricalcircuit, such as a microprocessor controller for the refrigerationsystem.

It is also known to provide a temperature responsive device foroperating certain structure by disposing an electrical heater meansadjacent the temperature responsive device and energizing the heatermeans to cause the temperature responsive device to move a plungerthereof and thereby operate a part interconnected to the plunger. Forexample, see the U.S. Patent to Manecke et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,780wherein the plunger of the temperature responsive device moves aselector member when the device is heated by an electrical heater meansdisposed adjacent the device.

It is also known to provide an electric valve wherein a temperatureresponsive bellows construction is surrounded by a cylindrical casing ofa housing means, an electrically operated heater means being carried onthe casing for heating the bellows construction. For example, see theU.S. patent to Kreuter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,231.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one feature of this invention to provide a new refrigerator systemhaving means for controlling the flow of low temperature air from thefrozen food compartment thereof to the fresh food compartment thereof inrelation to a signal from an electrical circuit thereof.

In particular, it was found that an electronic circuit for arefrigerator system can be provided wherein a microprocessor controllercan be utilized to regulate the flow of lower temperature air from thefrozen food compartment to the fresh food compartment thereof so thatthe control device controlling the flow of air from the frozen foodcompartment to the fresh food compartment will not be dependent upon thetemperature of the ambient air in the fresh food compartment as in priorknown refrigerator systems.

Thus, it was found that the control device for the refrigerator systemof this invention can maintain a reasonably constant temperature in thefresh food compartment of the refrigerator by modulation of a baffle ordamper valve member disposed in the passage of the control device thatleads from the frozen food compartment to the fresh food compartment andsuch operation can be controlled by regulating the amount of electricalenergy to the control device and its time duration so that the baffle ordamper valve member can be opened and closed at selected intervals in acontrol scheme provided by a microprocessor controller and/or a manualsystem as desired.

In particular, it was found according to the teachings of this inventionthat an electrical heater can be disposed adjacent the temperatureresponsive unit of the control device to control the operation thereof.

For example, one embodiment of this invention provides a refrigeratorsystem having a frozen food compartment and a fresh food compartmentoperatively interconnected together by a control device having a housingmeans provided with a passage interconnecting the compartments together,the housing means having a movable damper valve member controlling thepassage and a temperature responsive unit operatively interconnected tothe valve member to move the valve member between open and closedpositions thereof in relation to temperature sensed by the unit. Anelectrical heater means is carried by the housing means and is disposedadjacent the temperature responsive unit to cause the temperatureresponsive unit to open the passage when the electrical heater means hasbeen energized for a certain period of time. The electrical heater meanscomprises a heater wire means carried on the cylindrical casing. Anadhesive tape means has a first part adhesively secured to the casingand has a second part adhesively secured to the heater wire means andthereby secures the heater wire means to the casing. The second part ofthe adhesive tape means is disposed on top of the first part thereof.The adhesive tape means has a third part adhesively secured to theheater wire means and to the casing. The adhesive tape means comprises asingle strip having adhesive on one side thereof, the second part beingfolded back onto the first part thereof and the third part being foldedback into superimposed relation with the second part. The heater wiremeans is disposed between the second and third parts of the strip.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a newrefrigerator system having one or more of the novel features of thisinvention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new control device fora refrigerator system or the like, the control device of this inventionhaving one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forthabove or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of making such acontrol device, the method of this invention having one or more of thenovel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shownor described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from areading of this description which proceeds with reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating one embodiment of the controldevice of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates the heatermeans before the same has been assembled to the control device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of the control device of FIG. 1 and istaken in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3 andillustrates the control device of this invention as utilized in therefrigerator system of this invention, the refrigerator system beingshown schematically in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates anotherembodiment of the control device of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the heater means of this invention for thecontrol device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and illustrates one of the steps inthe method of this invention for securing the heater means of FIG. 6 toform the control device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the control deviceof this invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line9--9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cylindrical casing of the controldevice of FIG. 8 before the heater wire means has been secured thereto.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 and illustrates one of the steps ofthe method of this invention for making the control device of FIG. 8.

FIGS. 12-14 are views similar to FIG. 11 and respectively illustrateother steps of the method of this invention for making the controldevice of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter describedand illustrated as being particularly adapted to provide a controldevice for a particular refrigerator system, it is to be understood thatthe various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in anycombination thereof to provide a control device for other apparatus asdesired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized toillustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, one new control device of this invention isgenerally indicated by the reference numeral 20 and is being utilized inthe refrigerator system of this invention that is generally indicated bythe reference numeral 21 in FIG. 4, the system 21 comprising arefrigerator (not shown) having a frozen food compartment 22 and a freshfood compartment 23 adapted to be interconnected together by a passage24 formed through the housing means 25 of the control device 20 of thisinvention that is adapted to be carried by the refrigerator in anysuitable manner, such as is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4.

The housing means 25 of the control device 20 can be formed of anysuitable material, such as plastic material as shown, and has a baffleor damper valve member 27 that is pivotally mounted to the housing means25 at one end 28 thereof in any suitable manner and that is adapted toclose against a valve seat 29 of the housing means 25 to close thepassage 24 in a manner well known in the art.

A tension spring 30 normally tends to close the valve member 27 againstthe valve seat 29 and hold the same in its closed condition by havingone end 31 thereof secured to the housing means 25 and the other end 32thereof interconnected to the valve member 27 in any suitable manner.

A temperature responsive unit that is generally indicated by thereference numeral 33 is carried by the control device 20 to operate thedamper valve member 27 thereof, the temperature responsive unit 33including a bellows construction 34 having a fixed end wall 35 and amovable end wall 36 that engages against an end 37 of an actuatingplunger 38 that has its other end 39 disposed in a recess 40 of thevalve member 27 whereby the force of the tension spring 30 maintains thevalve member 27 against the end 39 of the plunger and thereby maintainsthe end 37 of the plunger 38 against the movable wall 36 of the bellowsconstruction 34.

The bellows construction 34 is disposed in a cup-shaped casing member 41that forms part of the housing means 25 of the control device 20, thecup-shaped casing 41 being formed of any suitable heat conductivematerial, such as metallic material, and having a closed end wall 42against which the fixed end wall 35 of the bellows construction 34 iseither secured or disposed thereagainst as the case may be while an openend 43 of the cup-shaped casing 41 is secured to the remainder of thehousing means 25 by threaded fastening means 44 having enlarged heads 45engaging against an outwardly turned annular flange 46 formed at theopen end 43 of the cup-shaped casing 41.

The bellows construction 34 of the temperature responsive unit 33 has achamber 47 therein which is adapted to receive a charge of a suitabletemperature responsive fluid through a capillary tube 48 that isinterconnected to the closed end wall 35 thereof so that after thecharge of the temperature responsive fluid is disposed in the chamber 47of the bellows construction 34, the capillary tube 48 can be closed offin a manner conventional in the art.

In this manner, when the temperature of the fluid in the chamber 47 ofthe bellows construction 34 increases, the same tends to expand in thebellows construction 34 and thereby tends to move the movable wall 36 ofthe bellows construction 34 away from the fixed wall 35 thereof and movethe plunger 38 to the right in FIG. 4 to move the valve member 27 towardits open position in opposition to the force of the tension spring 31.Conversely, as the temperature of the fluid in the chamber 47 of thebellows construction 34 decreases, the volume thereof likewise decreasesand thereby permits the valve member 27 to move toward the closedposition thereof under the force of the tension spring 30 as the movablewall 36 moves toward the fixed wall 35 to compensate for the decrease involume of the fluid in the chamber 47 in a manner well known in the art.

In order to adjust the operation of the bellows construction 34 so thatthe same will cause the valve member 27 to start to move to an opencondition thereof when a certain predetermined temperature is beingsensed by the bellows construction 34, a compression spring 49 has oneend 50 thereof bearing against the movable wall 36 of the bellowsconstruction 34 and the other end 51 thereof bearing against a tubularadjusting member 52 having an end 53 thereof externally threaded at 54and being threadedly disposed in an internally threaded bore 55 of aflange 56 of the housing means 25 as illustrated in the drawings, theadjusting member 52 having an opening 57 passing therethrough wherebythe plunger 38 is telescopically disposed in a loose manner within theopening 57 of the adjusting member 52 so as to be readily movabletherein. Likewise, the compression spring 49 is telescopically disposedaround the plunger 38 in a loose manner so that the plunger 38 can bereadily moved relative thereto in the manner previously set forth.

Thus, it can be seen that by adjusting the threaded position of thethreaded adjusting member 52 relative to the flange 56, the force of thecompression spring 49 acting on the movable wall 36 of the bellowsconstruction 34 can be changed to thereby select the temperature atwhich the bellows construction 34 will cause the plunger 38 to begin toopen the valve member 27 for a purpose hereinafter described. Forexample, as will be apparent hereinafter, such selected temperature forthe system 21 of the invention can be a temperature that is above thetemperature normally encountered by the ambient air in the fresh foodcompartment 23 should the temperature responsive unit 33 be mounted soas to sense the temperature of the fresh food compartment 23.

As previously stated, it is a feature of this invention to provide meansfor actuating the temperature responsive unit 33 under the control of anelectrical circuit of the refrigerator system 21.

Accordingly, the temperature responsive unit 33 of this inventionincludes an electrical heater means that is generally indicated by thereference numeral 58 and includes a conductive sleeve 59 disposed intelescopic relation on the cylindrical side wall 60 of the casing 41 andcarrying an insulated electrical heater wire means 61 disposed in acoiled fashion on the outside surface 62 of the conductive sleeve 59which can be formed of any suitable heat conductive material, such asthe metallic material as illustrated.

The electrical heater wire means 61 has opposed ends 63 and 64 which arerespectively coupled to suitable leads 65 and 66 in a conventionalmanner as illustrated in FIG. 3 to be interconnected to a suitableelectrical power source that is indicated by the reference numeral 67 inFIG. 4 so that when the source 67 energizes the heater means 58 bydirecting electric current through the heater wire means 61 thereof, theheat of the heater means 58 will cause the bellows construction 34 toheat to a temperature that causes the same to move the plunger 38 to theright in FIG. 4 and open the valve member 27 to interconnect the frozenfood compartment 22 to the fresh food compartment 23 for a purposehereinafter described. However, when the electrical current to theheater wire 61 is terminated by the device 67, the bellows construction34 subsequently cools and thereby permits the plunger 38 to move to theleft in FIG. 4 under the force of the tension spring 30 and therebypermit the valve member 27 to move to its closed condition to disconnectthe frozen food compartment 22 from the fresh food compartment 23 for apurpose hereinafter described.

The heater means 58 can be secured on the casing 41 of the housing means25 of the control device 20 in any suitable manner or may merely bepress-fit thereon, FIG. 2 illustrating how the heater means 58 can bedisposed in telescoping relation onto the casing 41 after the casing 41has been secured to the remainder of the housing means 25 by thefastening means 44, as desired.

In any event, it can be seen that it is a relatively simple method ofthis invention to form the control device 20 to operate in therefrigerator system 21 in a manner now to be described.

Once the control device 20 has been assembled in the refrigerator system21 as illustrated in FIG. 4 and the adjusting member 52 has beenadjusted so as to cause the spring 49 to act on the movable wall 36 ofthe bellows construction 34 in such a manner that the bellowsconstruction 34 will not open the valve member 27 to its fully opencondition until after the heater means 58 has been energized by thesource 67 for a certain period of time, such as by fully opening thevalve member 27 after the heater means 58 has been continuouslyenergized for approximately five minutes, the controller 67 in thesystem 21 maintains the valve member 27 in its closed position by notoperating the heater means 61 so that the tension spring 30 can maintainthe valve member 27 in its closed condition to prevent the lowertemperature air from the freezer compartment 22 from reaching the freshfood compartment 23.

However, when the controller 67 determines that the frozen foodcompartment 22 should be interconnected to the fresh food compartment23, the controller 67 energizes the heater means 58 by directing anelectrical current flow through the heater wire means 61 which causesthe fluid within the chamber 47 of the bellows construction 34 to heatup and thereby expand causing the movable wall 36 to move to the rightin FIG. 4 in opposition to the force of the compression spring 49, aswell as in opposition to the tension spring 30, until such forces areovercome so that the valve member 27 begins to open to interconnect thefrozen food compartment 22 to the fresh food compartment 23. The valvemember 27 continues to open and remain in the open condition as long asthe heater means 58 is energized. However, once the heater means 58 isde-energized by the controller 67 disconnecting the electrical currentfrom the heater wire means 61, the fluid in the bellows construction 34begins to cool and thereby reduces its volume so that the movable wall36 can move back to the left in FIG. 4 under the force of thecompression spring 49, as well as the force of the tension spring 30, tocause the valve member 27 to begin to close. Once the temperature of thefluid in the chamber 47 of the valve construction 34 has cooled to acertain temperature, the valve member 27 will be disposed in its closedcondition against the valve seat 29 to prevent the air from the frozenfood compartment 22 from reaching the fresh food compartment 23, suchfully closing of the valve member 27 against the seat 29 taking acertain period of time after the heater means 58 has been initiallyde-energized.

In this manner, the controller 67 can permit the fresh food compartmentto have sufficient air from the frozen food compartment 22 directedthereto through the control device 20 should the fresh food compartmentbe freshly stocked with a large amount of fresh food which wouldnormally change the ambient temperature therein requiring a longerperiod for the frozen food compartment 22 to cool the same than would bethe case if the unit 33 was responsive only to the air being circulatedin the fresh air compartment as in the prior art.

Another control device of this invention is generally indicated by thereference numeral 20A in FIGS. 5-7 and parts thereof similar to thecontrol device 20 previously described are indicated by like referencenumerals followed by the reference letter "A".

As illustrated in FIGS. 5-7, the control device 20A is substantially thesame as the control device 20 previously described except that the samehas the heater means 58A thereof formed from a strip of metallic foil59A formed in substantially rectangular form as illustrated in FIG. 6and having the heater wire means 61A disposed thereon in the pattern orconfiguration illustrated in FIG. 6 so that the opposed ends 63A and 64Athereof can be interconnected to the leads 65A and 66A in any suitablemanner at the end 70 of the tape 59A as illustrated in FIG. 6, theheater wire means 61A being secured to the side 71 of the tape 59A inany suitable manner, such as by adhesive means or the like.

The other side 72 of the tape-like member 59A is covered with pressuresensitive adhesive means 73 or other adhesive means as illustrated inFIG. 7 so that the same can be directly secured onto the cylindricalsurface 62A of the casing 41A of the control device 20A whereby theopposed ends 70 and 74 of the tape-like member 59A can be disposed inabutting or slightly overlapping relation as the case may be to permitthe leads 65A and 66A to extend beyond the tape-like member 59A asillustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, the heater means 58A can readily be securedon the casing 41A in a relatively simple manner by the method of thisinvention.

The operation of the control device 20A is substantially the same as thecontrol device 20 previously described whereby the operation of thecontrol device 20A need not be repeated.

Nevertheless, it can be seen that the control device 20 or 20A can beutilized in a refrigerator system that has a frozen food compartment anda fresh food compartment operatively interconnected together by thepassage in the housing means of the control device of this invention sothat the movable damper valve member thereof will control the passage bythe temperature responsive unit of the control device that isoperatively interconnected to the valve member to move the valve memberbetween the open and closed positions thereof. The control device 20 or20A of this invention includes an electrical heater means that isdisposed adjacent the temperature responsive unit thereof to cause thetemperature responisve unit to open the passage when the electricalheater means has been energized for a certain period of time.

In this manner, the baffle or valve member of the control device of thisinvention can be opened as long as desired, practically irrespective ofrefrigerator ambient temperature, such as when the fresh foodcompartment is opened for an extended period of time and restocked witha large grocery order. Also, the control device of this inventioneliminates cross ambient problems in which the control device wouldrespond to the colder temperature of the freezer air entering the freshfood compartment rather than the fresh food compartment ambienttemperature. In addition, an even time sequence for the valve member toopen or close can be achieved by the control device of this inventionthus giving an even open/closed cycle. For example, the amount of timethat the baffle or valve member will remain open/closed can also beaccomplished by the design of the control device of this invention andas to how often the baffle opens and closes can be designed through thecycle frequency thereof. Also, the time of "heater on" can be adjustedoutside of the refrigerator by the consumer with a potentiometeradjustment or the like.

While the control devices 20 and 20A of this invention as previouslydescribed have the heater wire means 61 and 61A thereof respectivelydisposed on sleeves 59 and 59A that are, in turn, respectively disposedon the cylindrical casings 41 and 41A of the housing means 25 and 25A,it is to be understood that the heater wire means could be secured onsuch cylindrical casings without sleeve means if desired.

For example, such an embodiment of the control device of this inventionis generally indicated by the reference numeral 20B in FIGS. 8-14 andparts thereof similar to the control devices 20 and 20A previouslydescribed are indicated by like reference numerals followed by thereference letter "B".

While the control device 20B that is illustrated in FIGS. 8-14 has onlythe casing 41B by itself without being attached to an appropriatehousing means, such as the housing means 25 and 25A previouslydescribed, it is to be understood that the heater wire means 61B of thecontrol device 20B can be secured to the casing 41B of this inventionwhile the casing 41B is separate from its respective housing means orafter the casing 41B has been secured to its housing means, such as bythe fastening means 44 as previously described, as desired.

In any event, it can readily be seen that the control device 20B of thisinvention can be formed by taking the casing 41B as illustrated in FIG.10 and securing the first parts 75 of a pair of strips of adhesive tapemeans 76 to the side wall means 60B of the casing 41B, the adhesive tapemeans 76 having pressure sensitive adhesive means 77 disposed on justthe sides 78 thereof and not on the opposed sides 79 thereof. The parts75 are disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of thecylindrical side wall means 60B of the casing 41B and on opposite sidesthereof with the adhesive sides 78 thereof against the side wall means60B so that the adhesive means 77 secures the parts 75 thereto.

Thereafter, each tape 76 is folded back upon itself as illustrated inFIG. 12 whereby second parts 80 of the tapes 76 are disposedrespectively on top of the parts 75 thereof with the adhesive sides 78thereof facing outwardly as illustrated in FIG. 12.

The heater wire means 61B is then helically wound on the side wall means60B of the casing 41B so that the coils 81 thereof are disposed onto theadhesive sides 78 of the second parts 80 of the adhesive tape means 76in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the opposed ends 63B and64B of such helically wound heater wire means 61B being adapted to beattached to external leads, such as to the leads 65 and 66 previouslydescribed, so as to permit electrical current to pass through the heaterwire means 61B for the purpose previously described.

After the heater wire means 61B has been completely coiled onto the sidewall means 60B of the casing 41B in the manner illustrated in FIG. 14,the remaining or third parts 82 of the adhesive tape means 76 are foldedback upon itself so as to have the adhesive sides 78 thereof secured bythe adhesive means 77 thereof against the coils 81 of the heater wiremeans 61B as well as to have the extended ends 83 thereof secured ontothe casing side wall means 60B and the closed end wall 42B thereof asillustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 to firmly secure the heater wire means 61Bin its helically wound form onto the casing means 41B to complete thecontrol device 20B of this invention.

If desired, the heater wire means 61B can be heated, such as with a flatplate heater, before the same is helically wound onto the adhesive sides78 of the parts 80 of the adhesive tape means 76 so as to ensuresoftening of the adhesive means 77 not only on the parts 80 of the tapemeans 76 but also on the parts 82 thereof after the parts 82 have beensubsequently folded thereover in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 8 and9. In this manner, the adhesive means 77 of the adhesive tape means 76secures the heater wire means 61B to the casing 41B of the controldevice 20B.

Therefore, it can be seen that the heater wire means 61B of thisinvention can be secured to the casing 41B of the control device 20Beither before the casing 41B has been assembled to its respectivehousing means or after the same has been secured thereto by utilizingthe method steps of this invention as illustrated respectively in FIGS.10-14 to complete the structure as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Since the operation of the control device 20B is the same as theoperation of the control devices 20 and 20A previously described, adescription of the operation of the control device 20B will not be setforth.

Therefore, it can be seen that this invention not only provides a newrefrigerator system and control device therefor, but also this inventionprovides a new method of making such a control device.

While the forms and methods of this invention now preferred have beenillustrated and described as required by the Patent Statute, it is to beunderstood that other forms and method steps can be utilized and stillfall within the scope of the appended claims wherein each claim setsforth what is believed to be known in each claim prior to this inventionin the portion of each claim that is disposed before the terms "theimprovement" and sets forth what is believed to be new in each claimaccording to this invention in the portion of each claim that isdisposed after the terms "the improvement" whereby it is believed thateach claim sets forth a novel, useful and unobvious invention within thepurview of the Patent Statute.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a refrigerator system having a frozen foodcompartment and a fresh food compartment operatively interconnectedtogether by a control device having a housing means provided with apassage interconnecting said compartments together, said housing meanshaving a movable damper valve member controlling said passage and atemperature responsive unit operatively interconnected to said valvemember to move said valve member between open and closed positionsthereof in relation to temperature sensed by said unit, said temperatureresponsive unit comprising a bellows construction, said housing meanshaving a substantially cylindrical casing surrounding said bellowsconstruction, the improvement comprising electrical heater means carriedby said housing means and being disposed adjacent said temperatureresponsive unit to cause said temperature responsive unit to open saidpassage when said electrical heater means has been energized for acertain period of time, said electrical heater means comprising a heaterwire means carried on said cylindrical casing, and adhesive tape meanshaving a first part adhesively secured to said casing and having asecond part adhesively secured to said heater wire means and therebysecuring said heater wire means to said casing, said second part of saidadhesive tape means being disposed on top of said first part thereof,said adhesive tape means having a third part adhesively secured to saidheater wire means and to said casing, said adhesive tape meanscomprising a single strip having adhesive on one side thereof, saidsecond part being folded back onto said first part thereof and saidthird part being folded back into superimposed relation with said secondpart, said heater wire means being disposed between said second andthird parts of said strip.
 2. A refrigerator system as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said heater wire means is disposed in coiled form aboutsaid cylindrical casing.
 3. A refrigerator system as set forth in claim2 wherein said strip has a longitudinal axis that is disposedsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cylindricalcasing.
 4. A refrigerator system as set forth in claim 3 and includinganother strip of adhesive tape means disposed opposite to the firstmentioned strip of adhesive tape means and securing said heater wiremeans to said cylindrical casing in the same manner as said firstmentioned strip of adhesive tape means.
 5. A control device as set forthin claim 3 and including another strip of adhesive tape means disposedopposite to the first mentioned strip of adhesive tape means andsecuring said heater wire means to said cylindrical casing in the samemanner as said first mentioned strip of adhesive tape means.
 6. In acontrol device for a refrigerator system having a frozen foodcompartment and a fresh food compartment, said control device having ahousing means provided with a passage adapted to operativelyinterconnect said compartments together, said housing means having amovable damper valve member controlling said passage and a temperatureresponsive unit operatively interconnected to said valve member to movesaid valve member between open and closed positions thereof in relationto temperature sensed by said unit, said temperature responsive unitcomprising a bellows construction, said housing means having asubstantially cylindrical casing surrounding said bellows construction,the improvement comprising electrical heater means carried by saidhousing means and being disposed adjacent said temperature responsiveunit to cause said temperature responsive unit to open said passage whensaid electrical heater means has been energized for a certain period oftime, said electrical heater means comprising a heater wire meanscarried by said cylindrical casing, and adhesive tape means having afirst part adhesively secured to said casing and having a second partadhesively secured to said heater wire means and thereby securing saidheater wire means to said casing, said second part of said adhesive tapemeans being disposed on top of said first part thereof, said adhesivetape means having a third part adhesively secured to said heater wiremeans and to said casing, said adhesive tape means comprising a singlestrip having adhesive on one side thereof, said second part being foldedback onto said first part thereof and said third part being folded backinto superimposed relation with said second part, said heater wire meansbeing disposed between said second and third parts of said strip.
 7. Acontrol device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said heater wire means isdisposed in coiled form about said cylindrical casing.
 8. A controldevice as set forth in claim 7 wherein said strip has a longitudinalaxis that is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofsaid cylindrical casing.
 9. In a method of making a control device for arefrigerator system having a frozen food compartment and a fresh foodcompartment, said method comprising the steps of forming the housingmeans of said control device with a passage adapted to operativelyinterconnect said compartments together, forming said housing means tohave a movable damper valve member controlling said passage, formingsaid housing means to have a temperature responsive unit operativelyinterconnected to said valve member to move said valve member betweenopen and closed positions thereof in relation to temperature sensed bysaid unit, forming said temperature responsive unit to comprise abellows construction, and forming said housing means to have asubstantially cylindrical casing surrounding said bellows construction,the improvement comprising the steps of forming an electrical heatermeans to be carried by said housing means adjacent said temperatureresponsive unit to cause said temperature responsive unit to openpassage when said electrical heater means has been energized for acertain period of time, forming said electrical heater means to includea heater wire means carried on said cylindrical casing, adhesivelysecuring a first part of an adhesive tape means to said casing,adhesively securing a second part of said adhesive tape means to saidheater wire means to thereby secure said heater wire means to saidcasing, disposing said second part of said adhesive tape means on top ofsaid first part thereof, adhesively securing a third part of saidadhesive tape means to said heater wire means and to said casing,forming said adhesive tape means to comprise a single strip havingadhesive on one side thereof, folding said second part back onto saidfirst part thereof, folding said third part back into superimposedrelation with said second part, and disposing said heater wire meansbetween said second and third parts of said strip.
 10. A method as setforth in claim 9 and including the step of disposing said heater wiremeans in coiled form about said cylindrical casing.
 11. A method as setforth in claim 10 and including the step of disposing said strip so thatits longitudinal axis is disposed substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of said cylindrical casing.
 12. A method as set forthin claim 10 and including the step of heating said heater wire meansbefore securing said second and third parts of said adhesive tape meansthereto.
 13. A method as set forth in claim 10 and including the step ofusing another strip of adhesive tape means in the same manner as thefirst mentioned strip of adhesive tape means to further secure saidheater wire means to said cylindrical casing.
 14. A method as set forthin claim 13 and including the step of disposing the other strip ofadhesive tape means so as to be opposite said first mentioned strip ofadhesive tape means on said cylindrical casing.